Ice-velocipede



(No Model-.)

J. P. ZALSMAN. ICE VELOGIPEDE.

No. 476,857. Patents June'l l, 1892.

l/VVE/VTOR John 1. Zalsman UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. ZALSMAN, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

ICE-VELOCEPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,857, dated June 14,1892.

Application filed February 17 1892. Serial No. 421,879. (No model.)

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. ZALSMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at 1-101- land, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in IVinter-Velocipedes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in velocipedes adapted to run uponice and snow and thus rendered suitable for use in the winter season;and its object is to provide the same with certain new and usefulfeatures, hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed outin the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention;Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same with the front runner in verticalsection on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a plan view of thedriving-wheel frame.

Like letters refer to like parts in all of the figures.

A is the main frame, having the usual saddle S attached. Said frame isforked at the forward end and provided with collars C O,

in which the post B rotates freely. Said post is provided at thetop withthe handles? for holding and turning the same to steer the device, andboth the lower end of said post B and the rear end of the frame A areforked and provided with runners F, pivoted in said forked ends, whichrunners support the load and have concave under surfaces to preventslipping laterally when turning curves.

0 is a drag or brake pivoted to the lower end of the post 13 andengaging the ice or snow at its lower end as it is depressed by thelever Q, operating through the lever R and rod M, connected to theforwardly-projecting arm 0' of the said brake O.

The device is propelled by a driving-wheel D, having spurs D. Said wheelis journaled in the divided rear end of a frame E, the forward end ofwhich frame is jointed to swing in a vertical plane at L to a collar C,which collar" turns freely on the post 13. Said frame E and the upperframe A are both vertically adjustable at their forward ends upon thepost B by means of adjustable set-collars N N on said post, which engagethe respective loose collars to which said frames are attached. Byadjusting said collars the distances between the saddle S and pedals Kmay be varied to suit persons of various stature or length of limb.

The driving-wheel D is rotated by means of the chain J, which engages asprocket-wheel I on said driving-wheel, and, extending forward, said.chain engages a sprocket-wheel I on the shaft H, journaled in the frameE between said wheel D and the pivot L. Said shaft II is provided withcranks G and pedals K, by means of which it is,rotated by the feet ofthe rider. The joint L permits the rear of the frame E and thedriving-wheel D to rise and fall freely to maintain contact with the iceand snow and enable the spurs D to engage the same. When nopropelling-power is applied, the runners carry the entire load and thewheel D touches the surface below it very lightly and makes very littleresistance to the progress of the device. As power is applied to thetreadles the pressure is downward upon the frame E, which tends to forcethe Wheel D in contact with the said surface, and thus pressure upon thewheel increases and decreases automatically as the propellingpowerchanges by rightly proportioning the leverage of the frame. By properlylocating the shaft H on the same there will at all times be only thenecessary downward pressure upon the Wheel to insure against itsslipping, and such pressure will vary exactly in proportion to the powerapplied. I am thus able to reduce the resistance due to the drivingwheelcontact with the surface beneath the same to the least possible amount,which is of great advantage.

WVhat I claim is 1. In an ice-velocipede, the combination of a framepivoted to swing in a vertical plane, a driving-wheel journaled on saidframe, a shaft having cranks and treadles attached and journaled on saidframe between said pivot and wheel, and mechanism to transmit motionfrom said shaft to said wheel, substantially as described.

2. In an ice-velocipede, the combination of a vertically adjustable androtatable collar on the steering-post, a forked frame pivoted at itsforward end to said collar, and a drivingwheel journaled in the forkedend of said frame, a shaft having cranks and treadles journaled on saidframe, and sprocket Wheels and chains connecting said shaft and driving-Wheel, substantially as described.

3. In an ice-velocipede, the combination of a main frame supporting asaddle having a runner at the rear and collars at the front, asteering-post rotative in said collars and vertically adjustabletherein, a collar rotative and vertically adjustable on said post, aframe pivoted at its forward end to said collar, a driving-wheeljournalcd upon the rear end of said frame, a shaft having cranks andpedals journaled on said frame between said wheel and collar, andsprocket wheels and 'JOHN F. ZALSMAN/ Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MOUTON, SARAH MOULTON.

